Sales of explorer yachts have boomed in the past few years, largely thanks to younger, more adventurous owners wanting to cruise beyond the Mediterranean or Caribbean. This trend is only likely to increase in a post-pandemic world, but many explorer designs favor styling over substance and are no more built for long-range passagemaking than your average SUV is made for serious off-roading.
A notable exception is the construction at Cantiere delle Marche in Ancona on Italy’s Adriatic coast. Just over a decade ago, the brand launched its hardy Darwin Class of steel-hulled explorers and has since carved out a niche in
